Tim Malcolm and Dan Walsh wonder if they can do better. So, we continue “Playing the Rube,” a weekly series with accompanying podcast in which Tim and Dan attempt to steer the Phillies to more victories, starting in 2009, through the deep simulation game OOTP Baseball ’18.

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CHAPTER 7: GRASPING AT BARTOLOS

Things are getting worse.

Last week felt like the nadir of our experiment, since we still figured the team had the talent to be better and we knew our pitching couldn’t get much worse.

But first we had to ensure it wouldn’t get much worse.

So this week we call on some reinforcements, both to fill spots left by injured players, and to simply improve our staff.

Yup, “Big Sexy” is now a Phillie.

Luckily we saw some inspired gameplay this week, including a big Carlos Ruiz walkoff.

We also get an injury scare and meet the Mets for the first time this season.

Follow our progress with the 2009 Phillies by checking out “Playing the Rube” below!